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9 Books to Read Before You See the Movies in 2016

From sweet children's classics to a swoon-worthy romance, movie adaptations of kids' and teen books in 2016 are likely to be big box-office draws for families. If you or your kids like to read 'em before you see 'em, here's a list to help you plan your summer reading list.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes (in theaters June 3; targeted to teens)
A girl (Emilia Clarke) in a tiny English town becomes the caretaker of an adventurer who was left a quadriplegic (Sam Claflin) after an accident. He's bent on assisted suicide, while she aims to give him something to live for. Their transformative relationship keeps the novel from becoming maudlin; the movie doesn't quite maintain that balance.

The BFG by Roald Dahl (in theaters July 1; targeted to kids)
A popular choice for beginning chapter-book readers, The BFG is a fun fantasy about a Big Friendly Giant (BFG) who prowls British streets blowing dreams into children's minds. After he plucks young Sophie (Ruby Barnhill) out of her orphanage, she hatches a plan for him to stop the not-friendly giants who eat children. Wacky wordplay makes the book a great read-aloud. Steven Spielberg directs the film adaptaton.

Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs (in theaters July 1; targeted to teens)
The first book in the multivolume Tarzan series introduces readers to an English boy raised by apes in the African jungle after his parents are killed. The film The Legend of Tarzan, starring Alexander Skarsgard as the vine-swinging hunk, follows Tarzan's adventures after he's called back from his home in London to investigate a mining operation. The original novel, while viewed as a classic, features lurid human and animal violence, as well as racial and gender stereotypes that make it ripe for discussion from our 21st-century perspective.

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery (on Netflix Aug. 5; targeted to kids)
This classic fable about a pilot who encounters a planet-hopping prince in the Sahara Desert is a lyrical meditation on love and friendship, translated from the original French. Though it looks like a kids' book -- and has no material that's inappropriate for elementary school-age kids -- the book's critique of adult behavior and nostalgia for childhood may be better suited to older readers. The animated adaptation frames the tale of the Aviator and the Little Prince with the story of a little girl (voiced by Mackenzie Foy) and her eccentric older neighbor (voiced by Jeff Bridges).

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (in theaters Oct. 14; targeted to teens)
A giant yew tree haunts a boy dealing with his mother's terminal illness in this moving story of love and loss, amplified by Jim Kay's dramatic pen-and-ink illustrations. Menacing but also protective, fierce, and funny, the tree makes young Conor's pain more bearable by giving him something tangible to fight against. The movie stars Liam Neeson as the Monster, Lewis MacDougall as Conor, Felicity Jones as his mum, and Sigourney Weaver as Grandma.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling (in theaters Nov. 18; targeted to kids)
Rowling's short book purports to be a Hogwarts textbook that describes various beasts and dragons but doesn't tell a story. For the film, which stars Eddie Redmayne as textbook author Newt Scamander, Rowling wrote an original story about Scamander's adventures in New York's secret community of witches and wizards 70 years before Harry Potter first arrived at Hogwarts.

The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson (in theaters fall 2016; targeted to kids)
Gilly Hopkins is one tough cookie -- she beats up boys and terrorizes her teachers and foster parents. But she meets her match in Mrs. Trotter, whose strongest weapon is unconditional love. The film adaptation of this Newbery Honor book stars Sophie Nélisse (The Book Thief) as Gilly and Kathy Bates as Mrs. Trotter.

Regan has been reviewing children's books for more than a decade. A journalist and former book editor for the San Francisco Chronicle, she cites as one of her toughest assignments having to read and review the 784-page...
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Comments (3)

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Please change Fantastic Beasts targeted age range. The Harry Potter series was always targeted at young adult audiences and had PG-13 ratings, with a number of the movies having to be edited from an R rating. The movies were always marketed to teens and adults. Kids don't even make up the majority of their audience.
With Fantastic Beasts having an adult cast of characters, racially-inspired violence, politics, gangsters and prostitutes, and scenes in speakeasies and bars, I wonder how you come to the conclusion that it's going to be aimed at kids. The Harry Potter series certainly was aimed at teens. Common Sense has just done all it can to disrespect and patronize it.
One certainly wonders why you consider A Monster Calls and Tarzan "teen-oriented" but not Harry Potter or Fantastic Beasts. It's insulting.

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